


Promise

by FernStone



Series: Femslash February 2020 [22]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Bedrooms, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fantasy, Magic, Mutual Pining, Mutually Unrequited, Nonbinary Character, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pansexual Character, Pining, Reading, Teaching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 08:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22847482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FernStone/pseuds/FernStone
Summary: "I see," Eris nodded, forcing their gaze from the pretty girl beside them to the book. They pointed to the drawn plant. "What does this one do?""It slows blood loss if ingested," Liên hummed, turning the page to point out another. "This one can be used on wounds to stop it and help them heal."
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Series: Femslash February 2020 [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1617541
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Femslash February





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Day 22 - Lazy. Own prompt, mutually unrequited pining
> 
> Ahh my two precious gays from a WIP comic I'm doing, Colourless. I love them a lot and should write more of them  
> A few details to help understand the short story, without saying to much that could spoiling the comic itself:
> 
> Based in a country where almost everyone has magic and a lot of the infrastructure is built around that, and those who don't are essentially thrown out into the slums outside of the city. These people are called the Colourless. A lot of them form sort of found families.  
> Eris is colourless, Lien isn't.  
> For spoiler reasons one of Eris' friends / basically brother, Mika, ended up living in the Castle. Lien is is handmaid and through that Eris met Lien. 
> 
> Idk if any of that helps but y'know xD Most explanation like gives spoilers for important plot stuff that I don't want to put in public ><

Liên sat with her back against the wall on the bed, light smile across thin lips as she meandered through her book. Eris watched her from where they lay, dark soft covers beneath them gently coated in sawdust from the wood carving they were half paying attention to. It was a calm and quiet afternoon where they could just enjoy each other's company while Eris waited for Mika (the person who actually inhabited this room) to turn up.

It was the closest to domesticity Eris had experienced since a young age, before they were torn from their family and thrown away at age ten.

The peace they felt when with Liên, a soft joy they experienced so infrequently, was why they visited the castle more and more. Each time there was another long winded and tentative excuse as to why they had come to see Mika. He would always turn up eventually, all teasing grins and snide comments that had them violently cursing him. It was true that they missed their sort of brother but it was Liên who had them coming so frequently.

Not that they'd ever admit it to her. It was an idiotic feeling, one that could never be acted on. Why would someone like her lower themselves to someone like them? The fact they were even friends was something Eris was particularly grateful for. They had never expected to be friends with someone outside of their makeshift family, with someone who wasn't colourless like them.

They let out a soft sigh as they made another cut into the wood, even as they felt the stiffness leaving their features with everyone moment spent in comfortable silence. A slight smile even twitched the corner of their lips and broke through their normal deadpan expression. They were unsure when they'd gotten so comfortable around Liên, when they'd started to let their guard down. They let out a quiet groan as the thought distracted them and they shaved the wood in the wrong direction.

Liên looked up at them with dark, inquisitive eyes and a light expression.

"Cut the wood wrong," Eris explained with a shrug, pushing themselves up with their elbows and into a sitting position. They moved over to sit beside Liên and stare at the words on the paper, even though they only understood a few. "What's the book about?"

"Medicinal plants," Liên's round face lit up with excitement at being asked, eager to talk about something she loved so much. Eris felt their heart begin to beat faster and was glad that their natural state of expressionlessness saved them from blushing. "This chapter is on plants that can help with the recovery from wounds or staunch blood flow."

"Isn't there healing magic for that?" Eris tilted their head in curiosity. There was so much they knew so little about, that their two closest friends and pseudo siblings were learning and leaving them behind. It got to them often, in the long and lonely nights. Liên would talk to her like this often though, which they were thankful for.

"There is," Liên tugged at one dark braid as they visibly thought about how to answer the question. "But magic isn't unlimited, we grow tired the more we use it. And only those very skilled with healing magic can store it in capsules to be taken at any time. Herbs are a more accessible solution."

"I see," Eris nodded, forcing their gaze from the pretty girl beside them to the book. They pointed to the drawn plant. "What does this one do?"

"It slows blood loss if ingested," Liên hummed, turning the page to point out another. "This one can be used on wounds to stop it and help them heal."

Eris nodded, smiling slightly as Liên's bright gaze met their own much calmer one. Her elatment for talking about her passion was contagious.

"It would be easier to explain if you could read, there's some things better understood for writing," Liên spoke thoughtfully.

"You could teach me. I learned the basics before, when I was much younger, it won't be too hard."

"That's right, I could!" A grin lit up Liên's whole face and she took Eris' tanned hand in hers. It was so soft compared to the rough calluses and scars of Eris'. "I'll teach you how to read!"

"Really?"

"Really. It's a promise."

-

Liên couldn't help but feel a mixture of disappointment and excitement when Eris left, staying for a little while longer before realising that Mika wouldn't turn up anytime soon. She wanted to spend much more time with them even if she knew that duty would call her soon enough. Eris was good at hiding quickly but she worried about the risk every time.

But she'd made a promise to teach her. A promise that meant they'd see each other again. That was enough for now, more than she could expect from someone who lived such a different life. Eris had been through so much and had so much on their plate. Liên cherished every moment together.

And maybe one day, she could tell them about these burgeoning feelings continuing to bloom inside her heart. One day.

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: they get together in the end


End file.
